HAIKOU, December 12 (Xinhuanet) -- A Falungong practitioner in
south China's Hainan Province was arrested by the local police
Tuesday for killing his uncle with a kitchen knife.

  Qiu Defeng, 29, of Yutang Village, Chengmai County, set the
house of his uncle Qiu Junxian, 68, on fire after murdering him.
  He was collecting wood to burn the corpse when the police
apprehended him.

  Qiu told the police that he had planned to commit suicide, so
that, together with his uncle, he could attain Nirvana, the sole
aim of practicing Falungong.

  The police investigation found that Qiu became a Falungong
follower in 1994, after hearing a lecture by cult leader Li
Hongzhi at the Hefei Polytechnical University, where he was a
major in accounting from 1993 to 1995.

  Ever since, Qiu had never ceased practicing Falungong, as
indicated by the books, pictures and compact discs on Falungong
found in his house by the police.

  The investigation also disclosed that shortly before the murder,
Qiu's newly-married wife had tried to persuade him to abandon
Falungong. But Qiu beat her, and forced her to seek refuge in her
parents' home.

  A few days before the murder, Qiu went to see his aunt, who
gave him sugar cane to eat. But after eating it, Qiu said that it
had been poisoned.His aunt then gave him an apple, which Qiu
accepted, and when he had eaten it said it had removed the poison.

  Early on Tuesday morning, Qiu's uncle came to see Qiu, who
accused his uncle of trying to kill him with magic. Qiu then
attacked his uncle, and knifed him to death.